When Steeleye Span ended their most up-to-date tour with a sold-out present at Cadogan Corridor in London, they started it with The Inexperienced Man, a track about environmental issues written by their former guitarist Bob Johnson that had been misplaced for 40 years and by no means carried out or recorded till 2023. It was a poignant reminder of the important thing function that Johnson, who has died aged 79, performed in Steeleye’s prolonged historical past as a band that took folk-rock to the charts and into giant live performance halls around the globe.
Johnson was a rock guitarist with a background in blues and folks, and he fused these influences to offer new melodies or preparations for epic conventional ballads similar to Thomas the Rhymer, Lengthy Lankin or Tam Lin that grew to become essential to Steeleye’s sound and success.
He joined Steeleye Span in 1972 on the suggestion of the band’s fiddle participant, Peter Knight, throughout what appeared to be a tough time for the group. Two of their most distinguished and standard members, Ashley Hutchings and Martin Carthy, had simply left, and Johnson was then largely unknown, as was the brand new bass participant, Rick Kemp. Their arrival, as their singer Maddy Prior stated, “modified it utterly – we grew to become rather more of a rock band”.
Beneath the Salt, the primary album from the brand new lineup, featured Johnson’s contemporary model of the standard track King Henry, together with Gaudete, an a capella carol that he had heard sung in church, and which grew to become a success single, reaching No 14 within the charts. The brand new Steeleye introduced conventional songs to a brand new viewers around the globe as they toured extensively within the US backing main rock bands together with Procol Harum, Jethro Tull and the Seashore Boys.
In addition they acquired a rock scene supervisor, Tony Secunda, who cherished publicity stunts. Throughout their Australian tour in 1975 he triggered outrage by asserting an uncommon contest that was open solely to girls, with first prize being the chance to spend 12 hours after a present with the male band member of their selection. There was fury within the press and a authorities minister tried to cancel the live performance, nevertheless it went forward anyway – and the winner selected Johnson. Nevertheless, there was no scandal to report afterwards: she introduced her boyfriend alongside, and all three of them left after just a few drinks and a well mannered chat.
Exhausted by the touring, Johnson left the band to work with Knight on a 1977 idea album, The King of Elfland’s Daughter, based mostly on the 1924 fantasy novel by Lord Dunsany. Johnson and Knight had been joined by a star solid that included Christopher Lee and the blues hero Alexis Korner, nevertheless it was not a industrial success. “It was a beautiful venture and utterly Bob’s thought,” stated Knight, “however the file firm had no intention of selling it.”
Johnson re-joined Steeleye for the 1980 album Sails of Silver, however by now folk-rock was out of trend, swept away by punk and disco. The band’s schedule was far much less hectic, permitting him to review for a level in medical psychology at Warwick College, adopted by an MA on the College of Hertfordshire and occasional work as an occupational therapist in Harley Avenue. Sick well being compelled him to go away Steeleye as soon as once more in 2002, however he returned to contribute two songs and visitor vocals for the band’s 2013 idea double-album, Wintersmith, which was based mostly on tales by the writer Terry Pratchett, a Steeleye fan.
Born and introduced up in Clapham, south London, Bob was the son of Chella, a music trainer, and Leonard Johnson, a salesman who had been invalided out of the military. He went to Westminster Metropolis grammar college, the place he met his lifelong good friend Wally Demel, with whom he went to folks golf equipment, singing at any time when the chance arose. Leaving college within the early 60s after taking his O-levels, he performed in a wide range of bands, together with with Paul Raven (later generally known as Gary Glitter) and PJ Proby. He met Knight, who moved into the Maida Vale flat he shared with Demel, and in 1968 they started taking part in across the folks golf equipment as a duo whereas he labored by day as a cleaner.
When Knight went off to affix Steeleye in 1970, their partnership ended, however Johnson stored up his taking part in, and in early 1972 recorded an album with the dulcimer participant Roger Nicholson.
By then he was married to his first spouse, Jane Loveless, and, aware that the music business was not offering him with an honest revenue, had discovered new work as a pc programmer.
With an honest workplace job in his possession, he was initially reluctant to affix Steeleye when the invitation got here. “He stated: ‘I can’t – I am going to the workplace now,’” stated Loveless. “However I stated: ‘After all you have to be part of,’ and he did, finally.” It was the precise choice, for as Knight identified, Steeleye Span was the “excellent car for his curiosity in conventional music and rock, and as soon as he joined, he didn’t wish to do anything”.
He’s survived by his second spouse, Mandy (nee Horlock), an artist whom he married in 2001, and by his youngsters, Holly and Barnaby, from his first marriage, which led to divorce in 1996.
